Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on November 20 evening (Hanoi time) asked police, military, militia and youth forces to reach flood-isolated areas overnight to rescue residents and deliver food, water and other aid by all means.
Chairing an an emergency online meeting with representatives of ministries, agencies and localities on responses to heavy rains, floods, and other natural disasters in several central provinces while in Algeria, the leader urged localities to review and assess conditions, especially in submerged and cut-off areas, to plan timely support.
It was reported that extremely heavy rainfall has occurred since early November 16 across Lam Dong, Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai, and Dak Lak provinces, with some areas recording more than 1,700 mm. Flood levels on the Ba and Ky Lo rivers in Dak Lak and the Dinh Ninh Hoa river in Khanh Hoa have peaked, exceeding historic records by 0.2-1.1 metres, and are now receding.
The PM issued five official dispatches on responses to the aftermath caused by flooding, inundation, and landslides. The PM and Deputy PMs have maintained regular communication with officials of relevant localities to monitor the situation and direct response efforts.
PM Chinh approved emergency aid of 50 billion VND (1.9 million USD) to Khanh Hoa province to address damage caused by the natural disasters.
As many as 41 people were confirmed dead while nine are still missing. Up to 167 houses were damaged and 51,138 were flooded. In agriculture, 13,026 hectares of rice, crops, and vegetables were damaged; 2,183 hectares of perennial and annual plants were affected; and 30,731 heads of livestock and poultry were killed or swept away.
Regarding transportation, 30 locations along national highways remain locally flooded, causing traffic disruptions. Many sections of provincial roads and inter-communal routes are deeply flooded or affected by landslides, resulting in traffic blockages.
At the online meeting, the Ministry of National Defence said it had deployed four helicopters to reach isolated areas on November 21.
Dak Lak People’s Committee Chairman Ta Anh Tuan said many areas remained submerged over 1 metre on the evening of November 20, with 126 households across three communes cut off. Authorities have been working to deliver food to the flooded areas.
Khanh Hoa People’s Committee Chairman Tran Thang reported that three residential areas remain inaccessible. Flooding and power outages have disrupted communications at some broadcast points. Preliminary losses from the heavy rains and floods in the province are estimated at around 1 trillion VND. The province has arranged sufficient food and supplies for residents.
Gia Lai province also reported that the estimated damage amounts to around 1 trillion VND.
According to Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa provinces have never experienced floods of this level. In response, police and military forces have mobilised up to 40,000 personnel to carry out relief and response operations.
On the evening of November 19, 300 locations were isolated by the floods. On the morning of November 20, the police had reached nearly all of these areas. Since last night, authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of people from isolated and dangerous areas.
He said only a few isolated areas remain unreachable to emergency forces. The most urgent task is to rescue residents and deliver essential supplies. Preparations to reach the remaining isolated areas have been carefully arranged by competent forces and local authorities.
Post-flood response plans have also been discussed, including providing rice, cash, and other essential necessities to affected people.
The Deputy PM said from now until November 23, rainfall is expected to gradually decrease, and that floods are likely to recede quickly.
From Khanh Hoa, Deputy PM Ho Quoc Dung said over the past two days, forces have made great efforts, but some areas still have very strong currents, making access impossible. The most severe cases are in Phu Hoa 2 in Dak Lak, where 126 households remain inaccessible, and in Khanh Hoa, over 300 households are yet to be reached. Military forces are aiming to access these areas early November 21 to evacuate people to safety.
Local authorities have instructed that the highest and most accessible sites be used to relocate residents, and military facilities will be mobilised if needed to house evacuees, Deputy PM Dung said.
Regarding food and supplies, local authorities have taken proactive measures. Military Region 5 has been tasked with preparing dry food and drinking water to support flooded areas. Early November 21, helicopters will drop supplies to isolated areas.
He emphasised that the most urgent issue is post-flood recovery, as almost all property has been washed away. He urged the localities to focus on restoration, particularly environmental sanitation, health care for residents, provision of essential supplies for the affected people.
Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Duc Tam stated that, following the directives of the PM and Deputy PMs, the ministry has provided support to the affected localities. Specifically, 2,000 tonnes of rice and 50 billion VND in financial aid have been allocated to Khanh Hoa; 3,759 tonnes of rice and 230 billion VND to Dak Lak; and 2,000 tonnes of rice and 330 billion VND to Gia Lai.
After hearing the reports, PM Chinh highly praised the Deputy PMs, the National Steering Committee for Civil Defence, and the ministries, sectors, and localities for their close coordination in preventing, combating, and mitigating the impacts of floods in the central provinces. He especially commended efforts by the provinces of Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, and Gia Lai in this regard.
Extending his sympathies and condolences to the families of those killed, missing, or injured, the PM instructed relevant forces and local authorities to urgently assist affected families with funeral arrangements for the deceased and search for the missing, and provide medical treatment for the injured.
He also directed the mobilisation of forces to promptly restore housing for affected residents; arrange temporary shelters wherever possible so that no displaced family is left without accommodation; repair schools to bring children back to class as soon as possible; repair medical facilities to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services; carry out sanitation and environmental measures to prevent disease outbreaks; restore electricity and telecommunications for residents and businesses; and reassess damage to develop recovery and support plans, including restoring production and livelihoods.
The PM called on compatriots, armed forces nationwide, and overseas Vietnamese to continue supporting people in the central region with comprehensive and maximum assistance.
He assigned the State Bank of Vietnam to consider financial support policies for affected residents and enterprises. The Ministry of Finance was instructed to immediately release rice to provinces for emergency relief. The Ministry of Health was directed to supply medicines and biologicals for disease prevention and control.
He requested that funding procedures for disaster recovery be completed during the night, including allocating 200 billion VND each to Lam Dong and Khanh Hoa provinces, and approximately 150 billion VND (5.68 million USD) each to Dak Lak and Gia Lai provinces for flood prevention and recovery.
The Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security were tasked with mobilising human resources and machinery to restore infrastructure and transport essential goods to flooded and isolated areas. Press agencies were asked to closely follow and promptly report on the flooding situation, damage, and recovery efforts, as well as provide public guidance on disaster prevention skills.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, together with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, were instructed to inspect and ensure the safe and appropriate operation of reservoirs, balancing dam safety with flood control for residents. The Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Public Security were assigned to restore disrupted transportation routes and guide traffic to prevent travel through dangerous areas. The Ministry of Science and Technology and telecommunications and power corporations were requested to mobilise resources to swiftly resolve electricity and telecommunications outages.
The PM directed the Office of the Central Steering Committee for Civil Defence to closely monitor the situation and promptly report and propose disaster prevention and recovery measures. He assigned Deputy PM Le Thanh Long to depart for Gia Lai, Deputy PM Ho Duc Phoc for Dak Lak, and Deputy PM Ho Quoc Dung for Lam Dong on the morning of November 21 to directly oversee disaster response efforts, with saving lives as the top priority./.
